Hiking. One of the things that strengthened my appreciation for living in the Bay Area was its close proximity to beaches, mountains, whatever you would want for a quick day trip activity outside of the city. Last weekend, Z and I drove about 15 minutes down the coast towards Pacifica on Highway 1 to try out a new dog-friendly hiking trail. McNee Ranch State Park is a beautiful, scenic, and easy hike if you take the Gray Whale Cove Trail north from the trail-head to the incredibly scenic rest bench facing west. This short hike is a wonderful choice when you just need a break from the world. The trail information recommended bringing binoculars in the winter for whale watching. The Gray Whale Cove Trail hugged the coast-line with sweeping views of the ocean and beach down below. Its small dirt path was flanked by the beautiful California wildflowers, blackberry bushes, shrubs, ferns, and succulents. I really wished I had a pocket-sized botanical guide with me, so that I could learn to identify more of the plant life in the area. I highly recommend checking out this hike if you're ever in the area. Z and I are going to try at least one new hiking trail each month and this guide for dog-friendly hikes is an awesome jumping point. Now, for the never-ending picture filled post:
